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Friday, July 18, 2014

Welcome, Susan. Tell
us how much of yourself you write into your characters.

I believe there’s a small part of the writer in every
character they create. That doesn’t mean the characters’ thoughts, feelings,
opinions, or memories are made up of my own personality. But I do think
everything that fuels a writer’s imagination comes from the sum of their life
experiences. Memories, observation, dreams, overheard conversations, the way a
book or movie affects us—each of these things make up who we are and some of
that will just naturally leach over into our writing. That does not, of course,
mean that the evil or unsympathetic character’s thoughts are my own—but perhaps
sparked by something I’ve seen or experienced. We writers just take those
sparks and run with them, turning them into something large enough to create
characters and hopefully fill a book.

What is the quirkiest
thing you have ever done?

Oh boy. People who know me well would probably say
“everything.” I’m pretty quirky. Do you think being quirky is a writer thing?

You’re probably
right. When did you first discover that you were a writer?

I submitted my first story to a publisher when I was nine or
ten years old. My friend illustrated it with her crayons. Funny thing, I never
did hear back from them….

Tell us the range of
the kinds of books you enjoy reading.

From cozy or quirky mysteries like Murder She Wrote and Monk,
to contemporary and historical romances by Susan Meissner and Sharon Gillenwater,
with a little bit of Dean Koontz and Tess Gerittsen thrillers to mix things up.

How do you keep your
sanity in our run, run, run world?

I go to the beach. That is all. That is the most comforting,
calming place for me when I need it. And the stormier the water, the calmer I
feel. Remember, I told you I was quirky?

When we went to the
beach at Manzanito, Mexico, I loved walking on the
beach near midnight when no one was there, except my husband and me. It was so
peaceful with the sound of the waves. How do you choose your characters’ names?

I did steal one from a car salesman once. In the book I’m
currently working on, my character is named after my grandmother. And the last
names of both my hero and heroine are from my grandmother’s family tree. The
name has to feel right to fit the character, in my opinion. At least it does
for me. I can’t just randomly pick a name. I tried to change a character’s name
once, and it became so frustrating because it seemed to change the character’s
personality. I just couldn’t work with it and went back to the other name.

In one of my books, I
had a character who didn’t like the name I gave her, so I had to change it to
what she wanted. What is the accomplishment that you are most proud of?

My son. He is a caring and compassionate human being. He’s a
wonderful person, and I’m so amazed that I had even the smallest part in who he
is.

If you were an
animal, which one would you be, and why?

I’d definitely want to be an orca whale. Swimming in the
ocean all day, leaping out of the water in the bright sunshine, the ocean as my
playground—it would be a joy.

What is your favorite
food?

Lasagna alfredo with extra mozzarella cheese, and garlic
bread.

Now I’m hungry for
that. What is the problem with writing that was your greatest roadblock, and
how did you overcome it?

Time. There never seems to be enough. I haven’t overcome it.
But I do take my Alphasmart or writing tablet with me wherever I go.

Tell us about the
featured book.

True North is about a woman, Lisa, whose marriage is falling
apart after the tragic loss of her son. Her husband, Joe, has more or less left
the marriage because he can’t deal with his grief. When Joe’s boss tells him he
has to take mandatory time off, he decides to use the tickets they had
purchased for an Alaskan cruise. Thinking this is the perfect opportunity for her
to save her marriage, Lisa decides to go along.

Please give us the
first page of the book.

PROLOGUE

“Cody, are you almost ready?” Lisa Kendall glanced at the
clock sitting on the entryway table. Shaped like a catcher’s mitt with a
baseball in the center, it reflected most of the décor in their house. Baseball
topped her nine-year-old son’s list of passions. Whales and anything to do with
the ocean took a close second, so both themes ran throughout the Kendall household. Not that she minded one bit. There
would be plenty of time to decorate the house her way when Cody grew up and
went off to college.

“Your dad should be here any minute.” She glanced at the
clock again then out at the driveway and tried to stem her rising tension
level. Joe promised he wouldn’t let their son down today, of all days. Today
Cody’s Little League team would play their final game of the season. Cody
wanted his dad to be there for at least one of his games.

While Lisa would like to believe the sincerity of her
husband’s promise, it looked like work would take precedence over family.
Again.

“Just a sec, Mom. I’m getting my glove. Oops.”

A crash came from the direction of Cody’s room, followed by
the slamming of the door and the sound of feet scrambling down the hall. Cody
skidded to a halt in front of her.

“OK, I’m ready.” He looked up at her and beamed, proudly
dressed in his red and white pinstriped baseball uniform. His brown eyes and
quirky smile were a miniature version of Joe’s. Small in stature, like Lisa, he
also had her blond hair. But the smattering of freckles across Cody’s face
belonged to no one but Cody. Lisa felt the same catch in her heart she always
did when her son smiled at her. She simply couldn’t imagine life without this
precious little boy.

Lisa bit back a smile. She’d been after Cody to put those
books on a shelf for weeks. Nodding, she peered out the window. Still no sign
of Joe.

“I don’t think Dad’s gonna come to my game.”

Something inside Lisa wrenched at Cody’s matter-of-fact
tone. He seemed way too comfortable with Joe’s long hours at work. More used to
it than any little boy should ever have to be.

Whose divorce interfered with their family time today?
Though tired of Joe’s long hours at the law firm, she instantly regretted the
direction of her thoughts. Joe worked hard in a demanding profession to provide
the best life he could for them. Not only that, he agonized over his extra time
at work as much as she did. “Forgive me, Lord.” She took a deep breath and
prayed for help with her attitude.

“Hey, Mom, you’re wearing the shirt!”

“I sure am, sweetheart. It’s my lucky shirt.”

Cody grinned, and Lisa’s heart filled with joy. The
sweatshirt depicted an orca swimming on the ocean floor. Cody drew the picture
when he was in the first grade, after a trip to the Vancouver Aquarium in British Columbia. At
that time, they still had orcas in the aquarium.

Thank you, Susan, for sharing this book with us today.Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.
True North - Christianbook.comTrue North - AmazonTrue North - Kindle

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Suzie and Lena, great interview! One day I'd love to see whales off the Australian coast during their migration season. Please don't enter me in the drawing - I've already read True North and loved it :)